President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday called for calm following the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, saying it was not expected to have a strong impact on Taiwan’s diplomacy or defenses in the short term.
Ma’s remarks followed an announcement by Minister of Foreign Affairs Timothy Yang (楊進添) that the ministry had formed an emergency task force to cope with any developments on the Korean Peninsula in the wake of Kim’s death.
The ministry created task forces within its Taipei headquarters and its representative office in South Korea, ministry spokesman James Chang (章計平) said.
“We are also keeping in contact with Taiwanese living in both South and North Korea to ensure their personal safety,” Chang added.
The ministry will continue to monitor developments in the North and the possible impact Kim’s death might have on the East Asian region, Chang said.
Ma said during a press conference at his re-election campaign office that the National Security Council had invited defense, foreign, security, economic and Mainland Affairs Council officials to a brainstorming session to discuss the possible impact of Kim’s death.
“The council will brief me on the conclusion of the meeting later in the day,” Ma said.
Ma said the public should remain calm because the nation’s economic fundamentals remain sound.
On reports that South Korea’s military has been on emergency alert since news of Kim’s demise emerged and that Japan’s Cabinet held an emergency meeting yesterday morning, Ma said those two countries were very close to North Korea.
“While Taiwan is located a bit farther from North Korea than either South Korea or Japan, we attach great importance to the possible impact of Kim’s death and will carefully deal with all relevant issues,” Ma said.
Presidential Office spokesman Fan Chiang Tai-chi (范姜泰基) said Ma was scheduled to call a news conference later in the day to brief the public on the government’s response measures.
Meanwhile, Ministry of National Defense spokesman David Lo (羅紹和) said the ministry was also closely watching developments on the Korean Peninsula.
Super Typhoon Kong-rey is the largest cyclone to impact Taiwan in 27 years, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. Kong-rey’s radius of maximum wind (RMW) — the distance between the center of a cyclone and its band of strongest winds — has expanded to 320km, CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張竣堯) said. The last time a typhoon of comparable strength with an RMW larger than 300km made landfall in Taiwan was Typhoon Herb in 1996, he said. Herb made landfall between Keelung and Suao (蘇澳) in Yilan County with an RMW of 350km, Chang said. The weather station in Alishan (阿里山) recorded 1.09m of
STORM’S PATH: Kong-Rey could be the first typhoon to make landfall in Taiwan in November since Gilda in 1967. Taitung-Green Island ferry services have been halted Tropical Storm Kong-rey is forecast to strengthen into a typhoon early today and could make landfall in Taitung County between late Thursday and early Friday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 2pm yesterday, Kong-Rey was 1,030km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), the nation’s southernmost point, and was moving west at 7kph. The tropical storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 101kph, with gusts of up to 126 kph, CWA data showed. After landing in Taitung, the eye of the storm is forecast to move into the Taiwan Strait through central Taiwan on Friday morning, the agency said. With the storm moving
NO WORK, CLASS: President William Lai urged people in the eastern, southern and northern parts of the country to be on alert, with Typhoon Kong-rey approaching Typhoon Kong-rey is expected to make landfall on Taiwan’s east coast today, with work and classes canceled nationwide. Packing gusts of nearly 300kph, the storm yesterday intensified into a typhoon and was expected to gain even more strength before hitting Taitung County, the US Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center said. The storm is forecast to cross Taiwan’s south, enter the Taiwan Strait and head toward China, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The CWA labeled the storm a “strong typhoon,” the most powerful on its scale. Up to 1.2m of rainfall was expected in mountainous areas of eastern Taiwan and destructive winds are likely
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday at 5:30pm issued a sea warning for Typhoon Kong-rey as the storm drew closer to the east coast. As of 8pm yesterday, the storm was 670km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻) and traveling northwest at 12kph to 16kph. It was packing maximum sustained winds of 162kph and gusts of up to 198kph, the CWA said. A land warning might be issued this morning for the storm, which is expected to have the strongest impact on Taiwan from tonight to early Friday morning, the agency said. Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) and Green Island (綠島) canceled classes and work